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Last Updated: 13th November 2018

Wilmot Modular

Workplace Strategies are Changing

The importance of achieving work-life balance has become a goal for many individuals in the workforce. Companies are starting to see the value in this balance, and many are taking action to change their workplace as a result. In the past, the main drivers for businesses were primarily financial. Cost savings measured success. However, that has changed and key drivers now include work-life balance, attraction and retention of staff, employee satisfaction, and overall well-being. Why the change? A recent study by Mental Health America (MHA) reports that “one in four Americans describe themselves as ‘super stressed’.” When people are stressed, productivity drops, absences increase, and turnover becomes a problem for many businesses. It’s now even more important to offer benefits, promote the ability to have a work-life balance, and for employers to provide a comfortable workspace.

Solving the Skills Crisis

Today there’s an added demand for companies to keep up with skills training to meet the needs of the new technological era. An analysis by Accenture shows that countries that don’t provide the necessary training can risk losing trillions of dollars in GDP growth. Though on a larger scale, the impact is evident. Due to the increased demand in skills, there has been a recent shift from focusing on institutions to focusing on individuals. Degrees and certifications aren’t enough to stay up-to-date with industry knowledge. There is a need to incentivize individuals to develop a broader blend of skills. Companies are using Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence to make learning more immersive and engaging, as well as encouraging professional development to promote learning.

Unfortunately, some workers have less access to training due to the lack of trainers and space. Possible solutions to this include providing grants and other funding options to encourage learning, as well as providing temporary or permanent spaces through modular construction to hold trainings.

Trending Office Designs

The Millennial Factor

There’s a misconception that millennials don’t demonstrate loyalty to the companies they work for. As a generation, they’re motivated to climb the ladder and will look for new opportunities if they aren’t fulfilled at their current job. However, millennials will stay at a company if employers understand their preferences in their workplace environment. Salary is not the only benefit that they are looking for in a job. Being challenged and praised are certainly part of what keeps them at a company, however, their work environment also provides benefits that motivate them to stay at their job.

Many companies are also providing perks, which are in a way becoming an expectation for millennials. These range from:

Free snacks and meals

Sporting event tickets

Company outings

Paid gym memberships

Unlimited vacation time

Casual dress codes

Dog-friendly offices

Remote work/telecommuting

Continuing education opportunities

As far as the physical environment goes, employers understand the importance of human interaction. As a result, many companies have implemented open-plan offices. Creativity, brainstorming, and teamwork flow easier when employees aren’t siloed into offices or traditional cubicles. One study shows that individuals who socialized with coworkers for 15 minutes demonstrate a 20% increase in performance. Companies are also obtaining offices on shared workspaces, which facilitate interactions between other companies.

Regardless of the office location, millennials appreciate having flexibility in their workspace. Collaborative meeting spaces, as well as places to make a private call and relax, are important aspects in today’s office space. Recreational rooms and physical accommodations such as ergonomic desks and flex seating are also appealing. These amenities all make work exciting to go to, rather than a place individuals have to go to.

While there are concerns that older generations may not appreciate the amenities that today’s office spaces offer. However, reports show that almost all employees take delight in social engagement, praise, and employers’ focus on making workspaces more enjoyable.

Open-Plan Workspaces

Office designs are changing from having assigned offices and even desks to a mix of offices and unassigned spaces. Part of the reason is that many companies have remote workers that need to be accommodated when they work from the office. In addition, employers hold regular company meetings and trainings so there is a need for large enough meeting spaces. As collaboration and teamwork have become appealing in today’s workforce, open-plan workspaces have become a popular office design.

Open-plan workspaces comprise of large, open spaces as opposed to enclosed offices and cubicles.

There are many benefits that have been identified with open-plan offices. Collaboration is a major advantage that is often discussed. Humans are social beings, and individuals find it easier to ask questions when they’re a seat away from coworkers instead of a wall away. Employees are more likely to build relationships in open-plan office spaces. One study reports that having friends at work increases productivity and happiness

Research shows that benching is one of the fastest growing open-plan applications in today’s offices, as teams condense into smaller workstations. Benching involves using “bench-like” tables that accommodate multiple people as opposed to having separate desks for everyone. A major advantage of benching and open-plan offices is a decrease in costs. Cost savings occur as fewer walls and furniture are needed. Companies also see a cut in electricity and air conditioning spending. Lastly, open-plan workspaces make it much easier to accommodate new hires in the future.

Biophilic Design

Studies show that on average humans spend about 90% of our time indoors. However, we have a need to connect with nature and there are many benefits associated with being in nature and around plants. In comes the rise of biophilic design.

Many offices are implementing aspects of biophilic design, whether it’s including plants around the office or creating focal walls (or “living green walls”) completely comprised of moss or ivy, to incorporating lighting and scents reminiscent of nature. Research shows that by having plants in an office, overall well-being rises as much as 40%. As an added bonus, having living green walls helps with LEED building certification and cost-savings as plants help with insulation.

Modular Building Construction

In regards to office construction, modular buildings, panelized buildings and even repurposed shipping containers continue to trend as viable solutions to office needs. Construction costs and project completion time decrease significantly when using prefabricated buildings. Many cities across the U.S. are starting to acknowledge the advantages of modular building construction for office spaces and as a result, are changing city codes to allow the use of prefabricated buildings.

Modular buildings allow exponential growth and mobility that traditional office buildings can’t. If you experience rapid growth, it is easy to order an additional unit or two to accommodate new employees. Additionally, modular units are transported easily so a change in neighborhood is always a possibility.

Architects, Engineers and design planners are becoming more experienced in the ability to customize a building while working with the modular construction delivery process. Keeping the open-plan design in mind, modular units can be customized to have an open layout, as well as offices depending on your business needs. In addition, there is a rise in portable farms in shipping containers, therefore biophilic design is an easy addition to any modular office. There is no doubt that modular building construction brings a breath of fresh air to office planning and design.

Solve Your Office Needs with Wilmot Modular

At Wilmot Modular, we ensure that we can meet your office space needs. We offer customizable options for all applications. Regardless of the size of your office staff, whether you’re looking for a short- or long-term solution, we can provide you a quality office space, on time and on budget.